Online scam against restaurant owners

I just received the following e-mail which is clearly a scam. In the e-mail a purported company wants to make reservations at “your” restaurant. They ask for a set menu and offer to provide their credit card details for full payment.

Now, I’m not sure *how* this scam works exactly* – but I know it’s a scam because of several “clues”:

-The letter is written in the ultra-formal/non-idiomatic/contrived English that Nigerian/African scammers usually use.

-It purports to come from a representative of the company, but it uses a yahoo.com reply-to address. It’s sent, however, from a bluehost.com server.

-It does not name the restaurant where they are making the reservations, just calling it “your restaurant”. Same with the location of the restaurant, “your area”.

-There is no info online on “Exxon Energy Plc.”, and a search of the address or phone number lead nowhere.

Update Through the years the scam has gone beyond restaurants to include hotels, tour companies and even painters. Please read through the comments for copies of scam letters sent by readers from all over the world.

I also learned how the scam works. The scammer will make a big reservation/purchase from you. He will then tell you that he also needs to pay someone else (limo drivers, transportation company, etc.) but for some reason he can’t do it directly, so he says he will pay you what he owes you plus what he owes the other company, and ask you to pay the other company for him. He will then give you either a stolen credit card number or a fake check. When your bank figures out that the credit card was stolen or the check was not good, it will require that you pay the falsely credit amount. By then you will have paid the shipping company that is in cahoots with the scammer, and you’ll be losing a big chunk of money.

I am Stewart Graham, Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of Exxon Energy Plc. United Kingdom. Your restaurant has been approved by my company for dinner reservations for my workers visiting your area for a project, so i therefore want to book dinner for this group of workers.

They will all come for dinner in your place as from AUGUST 18th, 19th and 20th, 2009 by 8:00pm each day. They are fifteen (15) in number.

**NOTE THAT IT WILL BE THE SAME 15 GUESTS EACH NIGHT**.

We will appreciate if you prepare a 3 course menu for my group for the dinner. No special dietary. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant.

Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 3 nights dinner so as to provide my credit card details for full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

151 Responses to Online scam against restaurant owners

Hi!
I also have receieved this EXACT email plus another one from a Dr Allen Bradley in the same format with the same request. BOTH of them are hoax emails!! Definate scams. How it works is they ask you to put a deposit on their credit card through “your restaurant”. They ask that you charge the credit card $9000 but then take $7000 and give it to a local car company. Once you process it you will be contacted by your bank and YOU become liable for the total $9000 that is charged to the card as it is a stolen credit card and the transaction will be reversed!

Here is another scam I just received. Needless to say I don’t run (and haven’t even reviewed) a Punjabi restaurant.
Subject: Punjabi Order Inquiry
From: Cyt.Martin@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:40:38 -0400
Hi There,
How are you doing today?. It’s my mom’s Birthday on Oct 8th and I want the total cost for Punjabi chicken briyani for 100 people ready for pick up in your restaurant by 12:00pm on Oct 8th.. Let me know the total cost if you can handle the order with the time frame and also get back to me with the type of credit card your accept .
Regards
Cynthia Martin.

Hi,
My restaurant recieved the exact same scam, which meant we lost bookings. Deep down we knew. They tried to give us two seperate credit card numbers…both did not work thankfully!
Not sure who the appropriate Authorities are to report this scam to
Luisa

I received the same email 🙂
anyone booking on behalf of a company is not going to use a yahoo email address or just have a mobile number
Below email sent to our company
From: davidcrockertravels@mail.com [mailto:davidcrockertravels@mail.com]
Sent: 12 November 2009 08:33
To: Sales
Subject: Booking
Hello, I am David Crocker Public Relations Office r (P.R.O) of Exxon Energy Plc. United Kingdom. Your restaurant has been approved by my company for dinner reservations for my workers visiting your area for a project, so i therefore want to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from January 15th, 16th and 17th, 2010 by 8:00pm each day. They are fifteen (15) in number. **NOTE THAT IT WILL BE THE SAME 15 GUESTS EACH NIGHT**. We will appreciate if you prepare a 3 course menu for my group for the dinner. No special dietary. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 3 nights dinner so as to provide my credit card details for full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant. Your swift response will be appreciated.Reply to my private email captdavidcrocker@yahoo.com Regards, David Crocker 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London,UK, SW7 5LR.. phone number +447031912723 Email captdavidcrocker@yahoo.com

Yes- and for the last few months Dr Bradley has been using a new company as a front “MCL OFFSHORE” wanting a booking in similar format as written previously. I believe they make you take money from their credit card to put onto a car hire company account_ very dodgy!
“Total cost‏
From: Allen Bradley (allan.brad6@ymail.com)
Hello.
Many thanks for your response.We will appreciate if you prepare a 3 course menu for my
group for the dinner No special dietary.
We will be happy for any suggestion you may render since this is our first dinner in your
restaurant
Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 3 night dinner so
as to provide my credit card details for full payment confirmation.
Your response will be appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Allen Bradley
Mobile Number : +447035962564 ”

Hi,
My travel agency, located in Riga, Latvia, received same scam from Mr. David Crocker :
Hello, My name is David Crocker. I am writing this on behalf of a group of Greek and Chinese tourists who are also friends of mine.. We would be coming into the country soon for a 2 week holiday/vacation,and would appreciate it if you would send us via this mail,an itinerary/ pro gramme for the two weeks we would stay,This will include sightseeing, Bike and hotel accommodation ( 3 double rooms in any 4 star hotel ). This also would be my friends first visit. Arrival date would be on the 10th Febuary 2010,and we would stay for two weeks Please send a confirmation to this email IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL. Please also advise us on the itinerary & price.So that i can make a depsoite payment with our credit card I hope you would make our visit a memorable one. Best Regards David Crocker 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London , UK , SW7 5LR.. phone number +447031912723 Email captdavidcrocker@yahoo.com

Hi,
It’s a new year and a new country for this scam! We have received the following not one but TWO e-mails, and when I phoned the so-called Dr. McCarron his English was very poor and he told me that Dr. Allan Bradley was his “personal Adviser”.
ONE:
From: Tim McCarron [timfidelity2010@yahoo.co.nz]
Hello,
I am Dr. Tim McCarron, the director of Staff welfare M&G Investment International UK and I have 11 guests coming to your country for a private meeting. I want to book for lunch and dinner for my group of guests.They will all come for Lunch and dinner for 4 days and the services in your place from February 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th 2010.They are 11 in number and would come for 4 days.We are making an initial deposit of 4,000 Euros.
Get back to me with your response if there is availability in your restaurant or call me anytime on my phone below.
1)Do you have a credit card machine for charging of credit cards?
Kind Regards,
Dr. Tim Mccarron
Mobile : +447045768990.
TWO:
From: Dr. Allen Bradley [allan.brad6@ymail.com]
Hello,
I am Dr. Allen Bradley ,the director of Staff welfare, I want to book dinner for my group of workers .
They will all come for dinner in your place as from Feb 24th, 25th, 26th 2010 by 6:30pm each day.
They are 15 in number.Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Allen Bradley
Tel : +447045705287

Hi,
I have receive also 1 email from a James Marttins requesting dinner in the NH Hotel in Timisoara, Romania. New country this time, and I think that going to every country… 🙂 We did not response but the name has changed. Take a look.
“Hello,I am Eng. James Marttins, Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of Exxon Energy Plc. United Kingdom. Your restaurant has been recommended by my company for dinner reservations for workers visiting your area for a project, so i therefore want to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from March 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, 2010 by 8:00pm each day. They are fifteen (15) in number.
*NOTE THAT IT WILL BE THE SAME 15 GUESTS EACH NIGHT*.
We will appreciate if you prepare a 4 course menu for my group for the No special dietary. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 4 nights dinner so as to provide my credit card. Your swift response will be appreciated.
Regards,
Eng. James Marttins,
Exxon Energy Plc,
109-113 Queens Gate,
South Kensington ,
London , UK ,SW7 5LR… ”

Here is an email I received – Tim McCarron [timfidelity200899@yahoo.es]
Hello, I am Tim McCarron from M&G Investments International London.I wish to make reservation for 11 guests who will be coming to your country for a private business meeting.I want to book for your business services for the group from May 26th,27th,28th and 29th of 2010.what services can you provide at that time?What is the total cost for the arrangements? 1)Do you have a credit card machine for charging of credit cards? Please contact me back with your response and call me anytime.God bless you. Regards, Mr Tim Mccarron. Mobile : +447045768990

I just recieved this email for services at my spa so I googled Tim McCarron and M&G Investments because he is using a yahoo adress. Beware of this scam !!
Hello,
I am Tim McCarron from M&G Investments International London.I wish to make reservation for 11 guests who will be coming to your country for a private business meeting.I want to make reservation for spa and beauty services for the group from May 26th,27th,28th and 29th of 2010.what are the list of treatments and spa packages you offer?What is the total cost for the arrangements?
1)Do you have a credit card machine for charging of credit cards?
Please contact me back with your response and call me anytime.God bless you.
Regards,
Mr Tim Mccarron.
Mobile : +447045768990

Hi Guys,
Lets spread the word so that others wont be a victime. This is the message that i received.
Regards,
Ayimhttp://www.trendybytez.com
———————————-
“Hello,
I am Tim McCarron from M&G Investments International London.I wish to make reservation for 11 guests who will be coming to your country for a private business
meeting.I want to book your services and shopping for the group from June 8th,9th,10th and 11th of 2010.we would be making an initial deposit of $3,000.00 USD.
1)Do you have a credit card machine for charging of credit cards?
Please contact me back with your response and call me anytime.God bless you.
Regards,
Mr Tim Mccarron.
Mobile : +447045768990
——————————–

Here’s the one I received:
From : Tim McCarron
Subject : October Inquiry.
Mon Aug 30 2010 2:44:50 PM
—
Hello,
My name is Tim McCarron from M&G Investment International UK.I want to know if there is any availability for 8 guests who need your services. They are
coming for vacation holidays and business meeting in your city.If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrival on 14th of October 2010. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer.Call me anytime.
Mr Tim McCarron.
Cell: +447045768990
————————————————
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
Universidad Nacional de Jujuy
Not sure exactly what this clown wants with us. We’re an audio recording studio. Maybe we can record his confession for the authorities. 😉

I must say, that email’s punctuation is terrible. (Forgive me for being nitpicky, but I’m a copy editor — no further explanations, Your Honor.)
It’s completely forgivable to write this way for casual letters (and comments), but if one purports to be writing a business email, one really ought to pay more attention to one’s full stops, among other things.
All said, it practically screams “scam” to me.
Incidentally, has anybody ever tried calling the number Mr. Graham (or McCarron, etc.) had included in his email? I’m just curious.

I received the same email from Dr Allen Bradley dated 10 October 2010. Here it is:
From: Allen Bradley (bradrent1@ymail.com)
Sent: Sunday, 10 October 2010 3:57PM
Subject: Yoga
Hello,
I am Dr. Allen Bradley from Queen Margaret University, UK. I want to book for yoga for 10 guests from my Department arriving from UK to your country. Our 10 guests will all come to your place from the yoga on October 25th-29th 2010 (5 days) by 1.30pm to 3pm each day. Get back to me if there is availability.
I hope you do have a Credit card machine for charges as regard payments. Thank you and looking forward to your urgent response.
Regards,
Allen
There is no Queen Margaret University, and if a Dr Bradley existed, he would at least be literate. We have received a few of these from Africa ultimately… all scams. Interesting that he capitalized Credit Card. Why don’t they just get a job instead of trying to steal from others? We told them to shove off!

thanks for posting about scams like this
I just received one here is the copy
Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to
know if there is any availability for 8 couples who needs rooms and Lunch and Dinner services.They are coming for vacation holidays in your city. If
there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 14th of December 2010. The ONLY mode
Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can
offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Cell: +447045768990

I received the same email today,so hateful！
Hi,
I am from M&G Investments International. We are interested in your company products. we need large product. They are wonderful. Kindly send me an email to my email address with details of:

I just got this email from the say guy. Looks like he is looking to charter an airplane also.
Hello, My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 4 guests who needs Flight charter services. They are coming for annual company meeting. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes. They are looking forward to Arrive and the charter on 5th January 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card. What are the prices per hour and where is your base airport? Mr Andrea Purdon. Phone: +447045768990

I just received this on a booking of 8 rooms for 10 nights…
Hello,
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to
> know if
>> there is any availability for 8 guests who needs rooms, apartments and
> meal
>> services. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is
> availability,
>> kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> They are looking forward to Arrive on 5th of January and check out- 15th
> January
>> 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you
> can
>> offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Mr Andrea Purdon.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Phone: +447045768990
>>

Thanks for posting these. I just got the email below. Interesting how they are all similar but the details are different:
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 4 guests who needs rooms and meal services at your place. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 15th of January and check out- 25th January 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Phone: +447045768990

Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 4 guests who needs tours and Adventure services at your place. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 15th of January and check out- 25th January 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the type of tour services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Phone: +447045768990t

I just received this same type of e-mail. Seems they are getting a bit broad with their fishing for unwitting scam-ees… we are a tour operator doing whitewater rafting and 4×4 tours. Here is the letter;
Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 4 guests who needs tours and Adventure services at your place. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 15th of January and check out- 25th January 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the type of tour services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Phone: +447045768990t

I received the following email which is a scam and a half
Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for production/film services for our company regional annual meeting. They are coming for meeting in your country and city. We expect 30 Investors at the meeting. If there is availability as we want you to organize the event for us. kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
The guests will Arrive on 15th of January and the meeting starts 17th January and ends on 19th January ,2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately the list of all the services you can offer.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Phone: +447045768990

I just received this email. At first I thought it was from a friend making a joke then I decided to search it online.
The reason I thought it a joke because I read it as Dr. Hairy Navel!!
Why would someone pay for their models to get facials at a hair salon.
Be very careful with these people!
From: Dr harry Neville
Date: January 6, 2011 8:57:37 PM PST
To: drharryneville@yahoo.com
Subject: RESERVATION
hello,
i want to make a reservation for a beauty treatments hair,nails,tanning and facial for 12 of our models .
please do get back to me with the details for the reservation.
date-feb 8th-10th-1.30pm – 3pm daily
i do hope i can pay with my credit card.
regards
dr harry neville,
109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington,
London,UK, SW7 5LR..

Hello everyone,
Sure enough this email scam is in many forms and sizes. The little B&B business in the US are a very good target for these guys because we love European Bookings as such. The temptation for some less than aware B&B’s have cost some people lots of money. Google can sure keep you out of trouble when it comes to this stuff…Thanks to all for reporting your experiences on these bums…
here is what we got today:
Hello,
My name is Kelvin Law from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know
if there is any availability for 8 couples who needs rooms, apartments and
services. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability,
kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 26th of Febuary and check out- 5th
March 2011. The ONLY mode
Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can
offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Kelvin Law.
Phone: +447045768990

I got a mail too from Kelvin Law. Oh My God! Thanks guys, you’ll saved me.
Hello,
My name is Kelvin Law from M&G Investment International UK . I want to know
if there is any availability for 8 couples who needs rooms, apartments and
services. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability,
kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 26th of March and check out- 5th
April 2011. The ONLY mode
Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can
offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Kelvin Law.
Phone: +447045768990

got the same thing today, I just can’t figure out what someone would do this for…maybe creating an email spam list out of those who respond? I’ll be looking for more spam in the next few days…this is the only thing I can figure…that they have a program that roams the internet for “contact us” information and send this automatically out to “many” em addresses in the hopes of validating em addresses against their list, then selling the validated list to spamers. Just a thought…
Hello, My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 8 guests who needs rooms, apartments and meal services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes. They are looking forward to Arrive on 16th of May 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card. Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime. Mr Andrea Purdon. Phone: +447045768990

Here’s what taking it a little further yileds, clearly an overpayment scam. Sadly these exist because people fall for them. If people weren’t so willing to believe….
Hi ,
Thanks for the response.We will now be making deposit of $5,774.00 USD for the services in advance.I am happy to inform you that we have
concluded with the guests.I made an arrangement with an Insurance Company who will provide the guests with travel, security and life Insurance package during their stay.
Once you get the credit card information, you are required to charge the total of $15,374.00 USD + 13% extra tax charges and then take
$5,774.00 USD as deposit and transfer $9,600.00 USD to our Insurance Company Agent whose information will be forward to you once this is confirmed.The Insurance company will issue you an invoice for the transfer.Confirm this and provide me with the information needed below for office records and payment.
(1) YOUR FULL NAME……
(2) FULL ADDRESS……….
(3) PHONE AND MOBILE NUMBERS……..
(4) CREDIT CARD TYPES WHICH YOU ACCEPT FOR PAYMENT……..
Regards.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Mobile : +447045768990.
On 3/7/11, Jean at LSR

Great information! I was very glad to find this blog. These people are looking everywhere for anyone to bite. They sent to following information to my hotel. I guess they are even trying to boost their legitimacy by suggesting they are trying to find hotel rooms for catholic priests.
From: Andrea Purdon [mailto:andreapurdon12@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 4:57 PM
To: craigs@hallmarklodging.com
Subject: June Inquiry.
Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 5 Catholic priests who needs rooms, apartments and meal services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 1st of June 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.
Phone: +447045768990

Seems these scammers moved over to Canada now, we received about the same mail but different name today for reservations in our B&B
Timothy Cole Timothy Coletimtwocole@rediffmail.com
Send email
Find email Add to contactsTo timtwocole@rediffmail.com
From: Timothy Cole (timtwocole@rediffmail.com)
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 4:57:22 PM
To: timtwocole@rediffmail.com
Microsoft SmartScreen marked this message as junk and we’ll delete it after ten days.
Hello,
My name is Timothy Cole from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 8 couples who needs rooms, apartments and services. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 10th of May and check out- 15th May 2011.
The ONLY mode
Of Payment is :Visa , Master or American express Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Best Regards
Mr Timothy Cole.
Phone: +44 7045753298

This is not a restaurant scam email but is one sent to me in connection with recording studios by a person mentioned on several occasions on your site, a certain Mr Andrea Purdon again! It follows the same lines mentioned in other scams and I have now contacted M&G Investments about it. Hopefully, they will investigate and use their financial clout and expertise to close down the scammers involved.
This scam email was received on Sunday 10th April 2011:
Hello,
My name is Andrea Purdon from M&G Investment International United States. I want to know if there is any availability for hiring of your studio and recording services if possible. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 4th of July 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Mr Andrea Purdon.

These guys are still in operation, but now they are going after U.S. flight training schools, saying they want to bring 10 students to the U.S. for flight training from the U.K., supposedly U.S. students — makes no sense. Same phone number and from Andrea Purdon.

I have also recieved the followind scam email, I guessed it was a scam but googled it just to make sure as didnt want to lose out on the business if it wasn’t!

Hello,
My name is Kelvin Law from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 8 couples who needs rooms, apartments and services. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes. They are looking forward to Arrive on 4th of September and check out- 14th September 2011.
The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card. Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time.
Call me anytime.
Mr Kelvin Law..
Phone: +447045768990

My name is Peter.A.Purdon from M&G Investment International. I want to know if there is any availability for 5 guests coming for Business meeting that needs rooms, apartments services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.

They are looking forward to Arrive on 20th of October 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.

Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.

hi
i was also in doubt and googled it and then saw the same words on the result page as i had got in the email, and when clicked, i was here.

Hello,
My name is Peter.A.Purdon from M&G Investment International. I want to know if there is any availability for 5 guests coming for Business meeting that needs rooms, apartments services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.
They are looking forward to Arrive on 20th of October 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.
Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.
Director: Peter.A.Purdon
M & G International Investments UK
233 Wale Street, London EC2V 7HN
Phone: + (44) 704-5768990

The telephone # on the Andrea, sometimes Peter, Purdon is consistent, 447045768990. Maybe someone knows the right authorities to take action.
I called the # for fun and got a male with heavy Russian accent.

These guys are after any reputable business, which they believe is successful, and thus having the money they are after. We run a reputable vacation rental agency in Rome, Italy, and we receive regularly similar e-mails, including from “Peter A. Purdon” etc. – and quite many others.
The tell-tale signs are the ones mentioned in this blog (schematic English, generic inquiry – although they made some improvements on these points), and especially from the very first message they are very specific about paying by credit card. It is quite simple to understand that it is a scam: 99.9% of your regular inquiries are more personal and natural, and hardly anyone already in the first message is so specific on the method of payment.

I guess these scam artists does not do a whole lot of research or they don’t bother checking who they are scaming. Apparently these guys want to hunt in Hong Kong.

Hello,

My name is Peter.A.Purdon from M&G Investment International. I want to know if there is any availability for 5 guests coming for Business meeting that needs rooms, apartments and hunting services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.

They are looking forward to Arrive on 20th of October 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.

Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.

Hello. My restaurant keeps getting these scam emails occasionally.
For other people’s reference, I would like to post it here. When I receive suspicious emails, I always copy and search to see if it is scam. Hope this helps others as well.

Hello,
I would like to book dinner, for my group of workers arriving from United
Kingdom. They will all come for dinner in your place from the , 18, 19
and the 20 of October 2011 by 6:00pm each day. They are 15 in number
Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
Kind Regards,
Engr.Markmark76@live.com
Weatherford International Oil Services
Orwell House, Souterhead Rd.
Altens,
Aberdeen,
AB12 3LF,
United Kingdom

Hi I have received a similar email today, we are a holiday lettings business. I googled the name and from M&G investments bit as it was clearly dodgy and I wondered how a scam like this could work! Thanks for the info above

Hello,
My name is Williams Grant from M&G Investment International UK. I want to know if there is any availability for 5 guests coming for Business meeting that needs rooms, apartments services if possible. They are coming for visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the dates and the quotes.

They are looking forward to Arrive on 20th November 2011. The ONLY mode Of Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.

Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.

Same phone number than earlie infomer seems to be here. (and we dont do dinners in december)
*******************
From: johnbrooks.brooks778@gmail.com
Dear Sir/Madam I am John Brooks of Egerton Training Ground from UK I
want to book for Dinner in your property for 10 guest for 10 days ,
date of booking 10th December to 20th December 2011 :time 8: pm evry
day for 10 days date do get back to me if the dates are free.
Best regards
Ker
Egerton Training Ground,
Mereheath Lane,
Knutsford,
Cheshire, WA16 6SL
+447031912723

Hi I’m from Thailand and also got this email today. Address and phone number are exactly the same as above comments
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My name is Mike Dane from Merryart Company International UK. I want to
know if there is any availability for 5 guests coming for Business meeting
that needs rooms, apartments services if possible. They are coming for
visit in your city. If there is availability, kindly let me know about the
dates and the quotes.

They are looking forward to Arrive on 20th December 2011. The ONLY mode Of
Payment is :Visa , Master or Amex Card.

Write me immediately with an update on the list of all the services you
can offer and available at that time. Call me anytime.

Hello All, Thanks for posting email address of scamer here. I appreciate. This morning, i got a same email from Mr Andrea Purdon, I was exciting about large products. luckly, i find your comments. Thanks a lot.

Here is the email from scamer
#################################################
Hi,

I am from M&G Investments International. We are interested in your company
products. we need large product. They are wonderful. Kindly send me an
email to my email address with details of:

*Minimum Order Quantity
*Your delivery time
*Payment terms
*And your products warranty
I await to hear from you urgently.

Hello everyone! Please add Mexico to the list, I’ve found this blog as much interesting and usefull. Once I have found the mystery company in some previous commments, I’ve sent the Mr. M. a thank you note explaining we are full until year 2500.
Thank you for all the nice advises and congratulations, your page is outrageous!

Hi
I have a company in Namibia and received this e-mail during November. Today we received an e-mail where the offer to pay more money than what was actually required for accommodation was received. The rest of the money was for “travel insurance” and was required to be paid to an insurance company. VERY fishy! I am glad I found this site. I believe they pick up on e-mail addresses from Trip Advisor as all restaurants and hotels, etc are listed there.

We’ve also received a similar form to our restaurant in Madrid.
the curious thing is this time they used Facebook to contact us, they managed to get the mail of the community manager of our page.

Everything else is exactly the same. And it somehow reminded me this “so easy money” tone of the widows asking you to please take care of a million dollars of her loving husband… and a little seach took me to this page.

Im at a Restaurant in the Western Cape- Sout Africa. So stoked to have read this blog- the buggers! I received exactly the same format as Vicky did (15th of Septemebr 2011 comment)…
What exactly do these guys get from this? Did not read all the blog posts?

Helene
ps…
Herewith the mail i received:

Allen Bradley [allan.brad11@ymail.com]

Hello,

I want to book dinner for my group of workers.
They will all come for dinner in your place as from June 27th, 28th, 29th by 7:00 pm each day.

They are 15 in number.Get back with your response if there is availability
in your restaurant.

We will be happy for any suggestion you may render since this is our first
dinner in your restaurant Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for
the 15 persons for the 3 nights dinner if you have the availability so as to
provide my credit card details for full payment confirmation

Just got this and funny part is i own a IT company and i have nothing to do with food.
——————-
Hello,

I want to make reservation for dinner in your restaurant for my colleagues.From 15 April 2013 – 21 April 2013,6 days.They are 7 adults.The time of the dinner is 08:00 pm everyday.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 35 euros per person per meal.(no special dietary dinner and no wine),wine will be paid for immediately on request.

Yup, just got a similar one sent to our restaurant. Being an innocent kinda chap I answered this email…

> I am kristin Mona i work with the Greg Tour Services, my agent in the UK and
> Boris Lauser in Germany recommended your place to me and i will like to have
> a booking set up, for my group of workers arriving from Bolton London. we
> need booking in your place for dinner from the 24th, 25th and 26th of may
> 2013 by 6:00 / 6:30pm each day.
> They are 15 in number.Get back
> with your response if there is availability.
> Kind
> Regards,
> kristin Mona
> Greg Tour Services
> North wales coast London

Perhaps I should’ve been alarmed at the shocking English and awful geography but then I’ve read similarly ridiculous and genuine attempts at British geography from some American clients here in Cayman.

I got the following response…

Hello ,

Thank you for your swift response, we would be delighted for the group to dine in your restaurant. But firstly, we would also appreciate if you prepare a 3 course menu for our group dinner. No special dietary. We have a budget for £70 PER PERSON each night.

We welcome any suggestion you may give. We will be happy for any suggestions you may render since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Once you have put together the 3 course menu, kindly provide me also the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 3 night dinner, Arrival 6.00pm, Same guest each day. I believe these prices should not include any alcoholic beverages.
Payment would be made with a credit card ,Moreover do you have a major card you accept? get back to us so we may proceed in securing our bookings via credit card before the date of our arrival.
I await your response
Kristina Mona
+12132830735

So that’s a Los Angeles dialling code too!

Luckily my chef stepped in and showed my the numerous, similar emails he was getting to his address.

I am a skin care specialist. I received a text from (805) area code (California) calling himself George and proclaiming the reason he could not speak personally is because he had lung cancer. Sicko!!! he was requesting a facial for 7 women.

George asked for my address to drop off the 7 women, and asked to pay for the facials via credit card. I told him to refer to my paypal account and he kept pressing that I should have a credit card machine. I told him to find another spa or go to paypal.

The second text I called the number on the text. There was music and it asked me to leave a message. I hung up. 2 minutes later my phone rang from 980-802-9600. The person could barley speak English. I told him I was reporting him and did.

Same old scam. I get about 4 of these a year….
____________________
ReplyTo: Dr\.Rico Hughes
Subject: Dinner…
Sent: May 13, 2013 6:42 PM

I am Dr Rico Hughes i work with the Fillies Services, my Agent in the UK and
Cayman Lauser in poland recommended your place to me and i will like to have
a booking set up, for my group of workers arriving from Bolton London . we
need booking in your place for dinner from the 24th, 25th and 26th of August
2013 by 6:00 / 6:30pm each day. They are 15 in number.Get back with your
response if there is availability.
Kind
Regards,
Dr Rico Hughesricohughes@live.com
39 Main Street, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
+447024015591

We received the same style email (with different content/names). Here are the details:

Original Email:

Hello,

We are looking to book a table for 12 guests from 16th to 20th December 2013.

The booking is for dinning in each day.

Please email us menu offer.

Thanks & Best Regards

Jim Goldsmith

108 King William Street
Blackburn
Lancashire BB1 7DT
UK

Their follow up email:

Hello,

Thanks for your response.

Our reservation is for 12 guests each day, I will make pre-payment of 2,000$ in advance for meals and drinks because we are not sure of what your guests might like to drink or how much they are likely to consume.

My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We also hired a car rental agent who quoted us $8,850.00 to offer us Airport pick ups/transportation, flight and accommodation bookings.

Your assistance is required to help the agent in dealing with other payments for the services because the agent does not have the facility to make a manual charge to a credit card if not present.

I will provide my credit card details with full authorization to process withdrawal $8,850.00 in addition to deposit of 2,000$ for your services and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to the car rental agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.

Mr Adams Smith Gray purporting to be from Tullow Oil PLC wanting to book the exact same 15 guests ( not very original ) for 3 consecutive dates in March with a budget of $126 each. They ( for reasons unknown ) want to travel from their supposed base in central London, 70 miles per days each way to our tiny Thai restaurant in Abingdon, Oxfordshire ( http://www.chabathai.co.uk if anyone wants to come 😉 to dine ! , to avail themselves of our food and pay upfront ( nice guys ). They have requested a special menu be prepared. Now I know they are ‘419’ scammers, I’m going to prepare them a special menu by reply ….lol. Thanks for the heads-up guys. I do hope they aren’t offended by my $126 pp set menu of Wilderbeest, deep-fried ant larvae ( buried in a bucket of sand , with spoon supplied ) … etc…

Hello,
We are looking to book a table for 12 guests from 10th – 15Th March 2014.
The booking is for dinning in each day.
I look forward to your mail with menu and pricing details.
Thanks & Best Regards
Jill Goldsmith

Funny thing is I don’t have a restaurant and have never been associated with any eating establishment.

Our reservation is for 12 guests each day, I will make pre-payment of 2,000$ in advance for meals and drinks because we are not sure of what your guests might like to drink or how much they are likely to consume.

My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We also hired a car rental agent who quoted us $8,850.00 to offer us Airport pick ups/transportation, flight and accommodation bookings.

Your assistance is required to help the agent in dealing with other payments for the services because the agent does not have the facility to make a manual charge to a credit card if not present.

I will provide my credit card details with full authorization to process withdrawal $8,850.00 in addition to deposit of 2,000$ for meals & drinks and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to the car rental agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.

My, Jill Goldsmith has been busy!
We are actually a hotel, so they are widening their view.

Hello,
We are looking to book Accommodation for 6 guests from 8th to 15th June 2014.
Please check availability and inform me about prices.
Thanks & Best Regards
Jim Goldsmith
108 King William Street
Blackburn
Lancashire BB1 7DT

Their follow up email.

Hello,
Thanks for your swift response.
We are interested in booking the available dates for number of guests(adults) you can accommodate.
My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We made arrangements with an agent whom will render translation and assist with Transport/Flight Bookings.
From estimates we received from the Agent, Translation/Transport/Flight Bookings will cost EUR 8,850.00. We have a little problem with payment to the agent since she doesn’t have a facility to accept credit card payment.
I will provide my credit card details to you with authorization to process withdrawal EUR 8,850.00 in addition to 50% for your services and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to our agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.
Your assistance is required to help our agent in dealing with other payments for the services.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.
Thank you in advance.
Jill

I found your site accidentally. Last letter that i received is exactly the same. Just have free time and now I decided to dig about this lady (Jill Goldsmith). We receive mails like this about two-three times every year since i work in one hotel-restaurant in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. Usually when it comes to larger amounts or for mediation in payments, I just rub the letter.
Тhank you all. I always knew that there is some hoax, just didn’t know what exactly is the cheat

Hello,
Thanks for your response.
Our reservation is for 12 guests each day, I will make pre-payment of USD$1,000 in advance for meals and drinks because we are not sure of what your guests might like to drink or how much they are likely to consume.
My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We also hired a car rental agent who quoted us USD$ 7,850.00 to offer us Airport pick ups/transportation, flight and accommodation bookings.
Your assistance is required to help the agent in dealing with other payments for the services because the agent does not have the facility to make a manual charge to a credit card if not present.
I will provide my credit card details with full authorization to process withdrawal USD$ 7,850.00 in addition to deposit of USD$ 1,000 for meals & drinks and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to the car rental agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.
Fill the below form exactly as applies:
Deposit for meals & drinks=……………USD$ 1,000
Car rental agents fees :…………….USD$ 7,850.00
Bank% charge on card(surcharge):……..USD$
TOTAL…………………………….USD$
Kindly provide us with your contact details. Eg , Name and Contact phone.Etc
Thanks & Best Regards
Jill goldsmith
108 King William Street
Blackburn
Lancashire BB1 7DT
UK
….

I got this request recently and once I told them it was available for them to book, then suddenly they wanted to send a very large check that I should clear on their behalf and send money to their agent. I really hope people arent greedy enough to take chances on this kind of stuff

Hello,

Thanks for your mail.

After discussing with our sponsors, I am glad to inform you that we have decided to use your restaurant for the dinner meal during the period.

Our sponsors have approved to send you a certified bank check of Dkk 85.000 to cover your booking fee and other services that the group will need. These include air flight tickets, travel insurance and accommodation arrangement being organized by a tour operator.

On receiving the check, kindly deposit it into your account for clearing. When you have the funds cleared in your account, deduct and keep your booking fee of Dkk 11.625 and send the balance money to the tour operator via a swift bank transfer. A proforma invoice containing the operator´s banking details will be sent to you upon confirmation of the money in your account.

Kindly confirm this arrangement and get back to me with your NAME (as it will appear on the check) POSTAL ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER for payment.

Thanks alot for your request.
Yes the times and dates are available at the moment. Our restaurant doesnt normally have a typical 3 course dinner concept.
What we do with larger groups is we make a freshly made mini buffet that gets stocked up as you go along. It will be served on your table and people have a selection of what ever they fancy. Its typical a selection of bread, snacks, dips, salads and warm 4-5 different dishes incl. a vegetarian option. And a cake/other dessert at the end. We would ofcourse make sure that you get to taste various foods on the different days if its the same group of people.
The normal price for the above is 175,- p.p, we can offer it for 155,- p.p on the premisies that you book it for 5 days x 15 persons. Total 11.625 DKK.
It is all incl. taxes and charges.

Please inform us of your availability to host a group of 15 adults scheduled to have dinner at your restaurant for 5 days. The dates are from 14th – 18th October 2014, time 20:00 daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. Combination of meat and fish menu will be fine.

If you can host this group, please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 15 persons through the 5 days excluding drinks. This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks which will be paid for at your place.

In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 5-day period in September or November, 2014.

I am a remedial massage therapist and have been contacted to my work email asking the same thing but asking to have a number of massages for their business and to also process over $7000 for there travel agent. I have just contacted my association so they can make other therapists aware.

I got the same email from Jill goldsmith wanting me to process a credit card payment for them along with my charges for massages for her clients . Very strange . Not sure how they do it but obviously at some point they would get your bank details and they are just getting your trust before they pounce .
Glad others have put their experience on this site so we can be warned .

I am Dr.James.Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from October 21th, 22th,23th, 24th 25th 2014, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

Please add Portugal (Lisbon) to the business areas of these active workers
We are a holiday lettings business, so I found the dinner reservation strange from the beginning.
Searching Google led me to your information. Thank you all for sharing.
HANGARinn Apartments

Here is what we received:
”
From: Christopher Wallace christ2wallace@gmail.com
To:bcc: hangarinnlis@gmail.com
date: 21 de Outubro de 2014 às 08:16
subject: Dinner Request
Good-day,
Please inform your availability to host a group of 15 adults scheduled to have dinner at your restaurant for 5 days. The dates are from 20th – 24th January 2015, time 20:00 daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. Combination of meat and fish menu will be fine.
If you can host this group, please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 15 persons through the 5 days excluding drinks. This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks which will be paid for at your place.
In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 5-day period in January or February, 2015.
Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Christopher Wallace
20 Shirley Rd, Old-bury B68 8SD
United Kingdom “

Following email received from same conman/people following an accommodation enquiry at our hotel:

Hello,
Thanks for your swift response.
We are interested in booking the available dates for number of guests(adults) you can accommodate.
My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We made arrangements with an agent whom will render translation and assist with Transport/Flight Bookings.
From estimates we received from the Agent, Translation/Transport/Flight Bookings will cost £5,850.00(Five thousand, eight hundred and fifty pounds). We have a little problem with payment to the agent since she doesn’t have a facility to accept credit card payment.
I will provide my credit card details to you with authorization to process withdrawal £5,850.00 in addition to 50% for your services and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to our agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.
Your assistance is required to help our agent in dealing with other payments for the services.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.
Thank you in advance.
Jill

I have been lucky enough to get 2 hoax email orders. I replied to one and learnt form this experience. When comparing the 2, I did notice that they both had fake gmail accounts.

Here they are:

Hello this is Engineer Paul Bramford,i am an aircraft engineer,i want to inquire to have you email me your menu and order for some of your meals,because i have an event coming up the 29th of November. The 55th Marriage anniversary for my parents,and i am looking to have 65 guests. Also let me know if you facilitate credit card payment.
Looking forward to hear back from you asap.

Thanks

And… this was my first Hoax, I did reply to this one.

Hello,

I am Sophia Wright by name,I have a special order and I will like to know if i can make a place for take away order food for 150 people, which will be needed for my Daddy’s 70th birthday party coming up on the 5th of September, Let me know if you are able to fill this request and kindly email back with a copy of your menu and also what type of credit card do you accept for payment.

Thanks
———————————————————————————————-
Hi Sophia,

Just wondering what you are interested in ordering?

Our menu is online at *******.com

What time you would like it ready for?

If you would like to chat in person about the finer details or menu options, please send me your phone number and I can call you back.

Thanks, Erin
———————————————————————————————-
Hello Erin,

please send me a menu list of your foods,as i am hearing impaired and this is the best way we can communicate.

Warm Regards
———————————————————————————————-
Hi Sophia,
I have attached a copy of our menu.
Let me know if it is what you are looking for.
Thanks,
Erin
———————————————————————————————-
Hello Erin,

Thanks for the response,I am hearing impaired and i can’t talk on phone,this is the best way we can communicate, I am buying food in large quantities and i want you to kindly see to my order right now. i will need the following below please :-

30 plates of Chorizo sausage

30 plates of Spicy chicken

30 plates of Beef

30 plates of BBQ Chicken

30 plates of Meatballs

Let me know if you can handle this order, It will be picked up at your store by 2 pm on the 5th of September as that’s the event date. I have made arrangement with the courier service that will be coming to pick up my order from your store. I also would like for you to include in your reply mail the entire cost of it all so as for we to proceed with payment. Also what type of credit cards do you accept for payment

Regards
———————————————————————————————-
Hi Sophia,

I don’t understand what you mean by “plates?” The 5 items you have described are our pizza toppings.

If you mean PIZZAS, you would be purchasing 150 pizzas! This is a lot of pizzas for the amount of people who are attending the function.
For every regular pizza there are 6 slices.
So you’re assuming that every person attending is going to eat 1 whole pizza?

If I am to commit to providing you with food for your function, I would like to arrange a meeting with you and someone else who can help us to communicate with each other, as you are hearing impaired.
Then we can use my knowledge of quantities of food per person and sort out the type of menu that would be suitable for your function.

I can meet you and a friend at the restaurant whenever you are available.
Alternatively, if you cannot come in for a meeting, can you provide me with a phone number of someone else who is helping you to organize the function so I can explain the types of food we can offer and I can have an understanding of what type of party it is going to be, and we can discuss a price of the products.

I need to have payment in full prior to going ahead with the order.
I would like to accept payment in person as it is such a large amount.

I would also like to have the name and number of the courier service who intend to pick up the order.

Thanks,
Erin
———————————————————————————————-

The email I replied to was my first hoax.

I was new to the business game and I wanted to be friendly in case this was a legit inquiry.

I got the same one today below is the original email and their response after I replied to the original email they sent.

Original email:

On November 14, 2014, at 3:01 AM, William Goggins wrote:

Hello,
We are looking to book vacation stay for 2 couples from 13th to 20th December 2014.
Kindly confirm room rates.
Thanks & Best Regards
William

Reply to our email:

Hello,
Thanks for your swift response.
We are interested in booking the available dates for number of guests(adults) you can accommodate.
My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We made arrangements with an agent whom will render translation and assist with Transport/Flight Bookings.
From estimates we received from the Agent, Translation/Transport/Flight Bookings will cost US$8,850.00. We have a little problem with payment to the agent since she doesn’t have a facility to accept credit card payment.
I will provide my credit card details to you with authorization to process withdrawal US$8,850.00 in addition to 50% for your services and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to our agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.
Your assistance is required to help our agent in dealing with other payments for the services.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.
Thank you in advance.
William

Hello,
We are interested in Tours within your city.
Please let me know destinations and packages you have available for the same dates for 11th – 16th January 2015.
Please advise quotes/Prices.
Regards
Jill
****
After I answered her with a price quote, she replied:
Hello,
Thanks for your swift response.
We are interested in booking the available tour packages in your city for 4 guests.
My clients will travel from Malaysia prior to the arrival date, We made arrangements with an agent whom will provide translation/flight bookings for us, which is estimated to cost US$8,850.00.
You will handle our tour, transportation and other arrangements.
We have a little problem with payment to the agent since she doesn’t have a facility to accept credit card payment but we are glad your company accepts creditcard payment, and we humbly seek your assistance with processing the required funds using your company creditcard machine.
I will provide my credit card details to you with authorization to process withdrawal US$8,850.00 in addition to 50% for your services and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to our agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.
We have a little problem with payment to the agent since she doesn’t have a facility to accept credit card payment.
Your assistance is required to help our agent in dealing with other payments for the services.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.
Thank you in advance.
Jill

I received an email booking for my restaurant in Tenerife Canary Islands Spain. Straight away I thought it stinks and thanks to this page it’s reassured me.

(drjamescool01@gmail.com)
Hello
I’m Dr. James Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from February 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 2015 time 7.30pm each day. They are ten (10) in number.
The reservation can be made on any 3 course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (No special dietary dinner, non smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.
Your swift response will be appreciated.
Regards

I am writing to make a Dinner & Lunch reservation order at your restaurant for eight (8) adult delegates. We will be coming to your area in your Country for our holiday and we are to spend 15 days. We are scheduled to arrive from 1st of February to depart 13th February, 2015. Please schedule a reservation within your available time & dates of service if the dates provided below are not suitable: Total of Twelve (12) days Lunch & Dinner reservation for eight (8) adult delegates.

The reservation can be made on any main course or a la carte menu within the budget of 35€ per person per meal (i.e.70€ per person per day, no special dietary, non-smokers, no rooms/accommodation, no beverages, no beer and no wine). Wine or drinks of any type will be paid immediately on request by the guests. A calculated price of our Dinner/Lunch for the Nice (8) delegates and an estimated cost for the group based on our budget will be highly appreciated. Also, if you offer only Dinner or Lunch at your restaurant, please give us a breakdown of the total cost respectively. I await your reply as soon as possible.

Please inform us of your availability to host a group of 15 adults scheduled to have dinner at your restaurant for 5 days. The dates are from 14th – 18th April 2015, time 19:00 daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. A combination of meat and fish menu will be fine.

If you can host this group, please provide the total cost of your 3 course meal for 15 persons through the 5 days excluding drinks. This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable, except drinks which will be paid for at your place.

In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 5-day period within the month of May or June.

Hi,
I recieved the same email in Cracow, Poland.
I am so glad I past the address and the name of the guy that sent me this email and found your page!

Hello,

We are looking to book a table for 8 guests from 4th to 8th May 2015.

The booking is for dinning in each day.

Please email us menu offer.

Thanks & Best Regards

William

After I sent him our offer I got this:
Hello,

Thanks for your response.

Our reservation is for 8 guests each day, I will make pre-payment of 1,000$ in advance for meals and drinks because we will order off the menu.

My clients will travel from Greece prior to the arrival date, We also hired a car rental agent who quoted us $8,850.00 to offer us Airport pick ups/transportation, flight and accommodation bookings.

Your assistance is required to help the agent in dealing with other payments for the services because the agent does not have the facility to make a manual credit card transaction without the physical card being available.

I will provide my credit card details with full authorization to process withdrawal $8,850.00 in addition to deposit of 1,000$ for meals & drinks and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to the car rental agent to enable her settle our travel expenses.

Hey – I’m from Denmark
I also got an email from mr. Christopher Wallace. I search for his name at Google and found this blog – thanks!
The mail is not about restaurants, but about art – this is what he wrote:

Good-evening,
I was just looking through an art web site and came across your gallery. I am presently converting my home to a guest house for commercial purpose and would like to have some art works in the reception and rooms.

The original paintings of the rooms are light blue color while the reception has a White colored background. They all have a brown floor tiles. The roof off course is white and all the furniture and doors have a brown color to match the floor.

I want a 70cm x 50cm for the (2 works) in the reception while the rooms go with 50cm x 50cm for (13 works). Total 15 art works.

Note that each of the work would be framed with a color to match. The color preference is oil / water painting of photography or landscape, semi realistic and abstract so the works can portray hospitality.

Kindly let me know if you can handle this work and send me your quote with a delivery deadline. I will like the works to be ready for shipment latest 30th June.

Hi,
I’m from Denmark, too, and I received an almost identical e-mail from Christopher Wallace today. I thought it was an odd kind of e-mail and Googled him, like Lisbeth Støttrup. Though I do work as an illustrator and painter, I’ve never received an e-mail like that with no mentioning my work or where he’s found me and so on.

“Hello,

I am presently converting my home to a guest house for commercial purpose and would like to have some art works in the reception and rooms.

The original paintings of the rooms are light blue color while the reception has a White colored background. They all have a brown floor tiles. The roof off course is white and all the furniture and doors have a brown color to match the floor.

I want a 50cm x 50cm for the (2 works) in the reception while the rooms go with 30cm x 30cm for (13 works). Total 15 art works.

Note that each of the work would be framed with a color to match. The color preference should be a painting of photography or landscape, semi realistic and abstract so that the works can portray hospitality.

Kindly let me know if you can handle this work and send me your quote with a delivery deadline. I will like the works to be ready for shipment latest 30th June.

I also got an email from Christoffer Wallace 20 Shirley Rd, Old-bury B68 8SD- about a quote for 15 pieces of art for his new guest house.
I would have used time tonight to make sketches if it wasnt for this website and my gut feeling something was off!

I am happy to let you know that I have decided to use your works for my guest house. I will pay you fully in advance using a certified bank cheque but before I do so, I want to make a humble request.

I have contacted a private shipping agent for the shipment of the art works and other furniture I bought to my home. I have already concluded arrangement with him pending the receipt of his fund in the amount of GBP 7.500 and unfortunately am not able to transfer this amount to him due to my present sailing location.

On this note, I have resolved to send you a certified bank cheque for a total amount of GBP 11.680.

On receiving the cheque, deposit it in your bank account to clear, which normally takes between 2 to 3 days. When the money finally gets to your account, deduct and keep the cost of your art work GBP 4.180 and transfer the balance GBP 7.500 to the shipping agent via a swift bank transfer. I will provide you with the agent´s bank account information for the transfer.

All taxes, bank charges and commissions will be deducted from the agent´s fee before the transfer is made. An invoice from the agent to you is also available if needed for your accounting records

If this is ok with you please provide me with your details for payment;

a) Full Name (exactly as it will appear in the cheque)
b) Postal Address (for delivery)
c) Telephone Number (for contact)

Upon receipt of the above information, the certified bank cheque will be posted to your address.

Thanks for your mail.
It’s is possibly. But the only problem is how to pay for this paintings. Because I don’t want to start doing this paintings and finally not getting anything pay.
I can’t afford that. And often I get mails from people that I can’t trust.
But if we can agree one way or another then I will do it.

Best regards
Lars Ahlstrand

Den 2. mar. 2015, Christopher Wallace <> skrev:

Good-evening,

I was just looking through an art web site and came across your gallery. I am presently converting my home to a guest house for commercial purpose and would like to have some art works in the reception and rooms.

The original paintings of the rooms are light blue color while the reception has a White colored background. They all have a brown floor tiles. The roof off course is white and all the furniture and doors have a brown color to match the floor.

I want a 70cm x 50cm for the (2 works) in the reception while the rooms go with 50cm x 50cm for (13 works). Total 15 art works.

Note that each of the work would be framed with a color to match. The color preference is oil / water painting of photography or landscape, semi realistic and abstract so the works can portray hospitality.

Kindly let me know if you can handle this work and send me your quote with a delivery deadline. I will like the works to be ready for shipment latest 30th June.

Today mars 7th 2015 I got a restaurant reservation from the well known
William Goggin!! This people are crazy!Mr Goggins or what ever his name is
What ere you looking for?We give him an honest work!Washing the dishes in our
resstaurant in Rhodes-Greece!!! Anyhow i sent him a mail if he wants to come or not
Mr William Goggins Stay in Negeria and do some honest work not fishing
our cretids cards numbers,or in dirdy Greek fack off.

I am Dr.James.Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from June 16th, 17th,18th, 19th 20th 2015, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

Your swift response will be appreciated.

Regards
—————————————————————— unquoted
So be aware of such scammers!!!

Same scam – this time south Africa…. I just had a bad feeling, it didn’t sound right, and when I got the second one in reply to my questions, then I just knew it….

Patrick Alfred
8:07 AM (3 hours ago)
to Patrick
Good day Sir/Madam,
I hope you are having a wonderful day,I will like to make Lunch reservations in your restaurant for 10 guest between the 15th and 20th of Sept 2015.They will come for Lunch every night between 11.30 to 2 .00 daily.

The guests are 10 in number , we do not know what the guests would choose for their meals so we would deposit you R10,000 in advance as initial deposit .The tables could be share by 5 guests each on 2 tables.The will make orders on the menu you have available for the 5 night period.All checks and balances will be made later on.

Please get back to me if there are availability within the 15th to 20th of Sept.Hope you accept credit card as means of payment?
Regards

I asked what the company name was and for more details I then got this response:
MR PATRICK ALFRED
10:27 AM (49 minutes ago)
to me
Hello ,

Thanks for your reply. The guest can make their choices from your menu list.
Because do not know what the guests would choose for their meals so we would deposit you R10,000 in advance as initial deposit via credit card. All checks will be made on the last day of Lunch.

Moreover, we also made an arrangement with a tour firm who will supply the guests with following items they will use during their stay.

So once you are in receipt of it, you are required to charge the credit card the amount of R98,800 , then deduct the cost of your initial deposit of R10,000 and keep the balance of R88,800 pending when I finalize arrangement with the tour firm and I shall forwarded to you the payment information once this is confirmed.You will deduct the transfer charges from the money which you will send to the tour firm.

N.B: All checks and balances will be done with the group leader with you on arrival.So confirm this and provide me with the details for office records.
(1) YOUR FULL NAME
(2) ADDRESS
(3) PHONE NUMBERS
(4) CREDIT CARD TYPES WHICH ACCEPT FOR PAYMENT

FYI;PLEASE THE ATTENTION OF THE MANAGER/OWNER SHOULD BE DRAWN TO THIS MAIL
Kind regards ,
Mobile# +44-703-590-6393
Fax # +44-7005-938-094

I am Dr.James.Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from October 13th, 14th,15th, 16th 17th 2015, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

Your swift response will be appreciated.

Regards

And a respons after we send an email back:

Hello,

Thanks for your kind response, we accept your offer and have decided to complete the reservation, our sponsor will make arrangement for a cheque payment as we want to conclude everything before our arrival and addition money will be added on the cheque for our logistic needs and i will inform you what to do with the addition money.

A covered bank cheque will be issued to you and our sponsor will send you the cheque, so when you receive it you will cash it and complete the reservation. So, confirm this and provide me with this information.
Full Name (that will be on the Cheque):
Your full mailing address where the courier will send the check:
Direct telephone/Fax numbers:
Email:
Total cost:

Hello
I am Mr.Don Ruphos from London.Your restaurant has been approved by my company for lunch and
dinner reservations for me and my co-workers visiting your area for a Holidays,
so i therefore want to make reservation for the group of workers.

Details:

Arrival: 21st – `30th Novl,2015

Number: 10 Guest

Time: 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm each day

Meal: A 3 course menu(No special dietary)

Budget: 40-60 ( Euro ) per head

NOTE:IT WILL BE THE SAME 10 GUESTS EACH NIGHT.

Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first lunch and dinner in your restaurant.
Kindly provide me with the total cost of the lunch and dinner for the 10 persons for the 10 days so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.
Your swift response will be appreciated.

Belgium. Received on 3 october through “resto.be”. If anyone has a suggestion for an answer I’m open to ideas, lol.
”
From : rolandoddo3@outlook.com
Message :
Hello, I am Mr. Roland Oddo. After a research, your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor Everton Football Club England for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from December 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th, 2015, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are Ten (10) in number. The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 50 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant. Your swift response will be appreciated. Regards Mr. Roland Oddo Everton FC Goodison Park Goodison Road, Liverpool, L4 4EL, United Kingdom +44-703-199-5224 rolandoddo3@outlook.com“

Hi,
even our little restaurant and hotel in Germany just received the following scam email from Alan Fitzgerald (alanfitgerald2@gmail.com):

“Hello,
I am Dr.Alan Fitgerald after a research your restaurant has been
selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from December 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th 2015, time:7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.
The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte
within the budget of 30-65 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.
Your swift response will be appreciated.
Regards.
Dr. Alan Fitgerald.”

Glad to have found your blog! Now I’m really sure that the email is scam!

This scam is now reaching New Zealand, with two restaurants we operate being targeted this past week as follows:

Writer this time is “Dr Marc Harrison”. One London address is given, the other email was Canadian.

“Hello,

I am Dr. Marc Harrison After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from December 15th, 16th,17th,18th and 19th 2015, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 35-150 Dollars per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your menu suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

We are interested in booking your services for 6 Couples from Hong Kong visiting vacation.

Do you have any vehicle to accommodate these passengers? Please let us know types of vehicles you can offer us for these dates; 18 – 23 April 2016. Also let us know your areas of coverage.

Kindly quote us based on the below information:

Price per hour/:……………………
price per 2 hours a day:……………
Total cost for 5 days:………………
Types of credit cards accepted:………

We requested estimated quotes since we are so unsure of the actual distance we will require for round city visits and we agree to pay any additional payment incurred.

I have contacted an agent to provide us with flight/accommodation bookings. I will forward to you our flight times and hotel details for pick-up and drop-offs service within 3 to 4 days before our arrival.

I am Dr.James.Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from March 22th, 23th, 24th , 25th 26th 2016, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

I’m German, and my English is quite good enough to make conversations and understand televison news and so on, but I have to admit that there is still a lack of understanding details (and will be so ’till the end of my days ;-)), but nevertheless I am able to realize if something’s wrong…
That’s the emails I got (I’m a tour-operator round the Lake Constance):

william Goggins hat am 4. Februar 2016 um 09:25 geschrieben:

Hello,

We are interested in booking tours for 8 guests (4 couples) from HongKong visiting for vacation.
BTW. these dates 18 – 23 April 2016.
Kindly let us know tour styles/Types you have available.
Please advise quotes/Prices.

Best Regards

William

And I – you never know if it’s true or scam- answered:

Dear William,

thank you very much for your inquiry.

We are offering quite a lot of different tours around the lake of Constance. Please consider our tour proposals at http://www…..
Please tell me which town/hotels are booked for the guests, so I can set up a visiting programme for them.
I look forward to your answer.
With kind regards
Sylvia

So “William” answered:

Hello,

Thanks for your swift response.
We are glad to accept any tour option you offer us for the available dates and willing to make 50% deposit to secure the booking, Then on arrival we will pay balance payment for all service rendered to us.

More so; My guest will arrive from Hong Kong by Air/flight and We made arrangements with an agent who will provide translation/flight bookings for us, which is estimated to cost € 8,850.00 for all the guests. We will make deposit payment by credit card to secure our booking and also request your assistance to help us process payment for our agent to enable her settle flight and other logistics expenses because our agent operates from home office and would not be able to process credit card payments.

Using your EFTPOS/creditcard facility, You will assist us to with processing through my credit card payment for our agent expense, € 8,850.00, who You will pay by transfers bank, and then your 50% deposit payment for our booking with you.; After payment is confirmed, I will send by email details for bank transfer payment to our agent.
Kindly note that ” NO BOOKING HAS BEEN MADE YET REGARDING FLIGHT BOOKINGS ETC “. Our agent will make all arrangements after they receive payment from you as i explained above. All details including hotel and flight details will be emailed to you after booking is completed.
We are willing to pay VAT %, credit card processing fee and any other charges for this transaction.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.

And here’s another scam from Jill Goldsmith received at my email adress in Denmark, but regarding booking at my safari lodge in South Africa:

Hello,
We wish to inquire about accommodation stay for 3 Couples (6 Tourists) from Hong Kong visiting vacation.
Please check if you have vacancies for these dates; 23 – 28 May 2016. Let us know categories of rooms you can offer us.
Do you accept credit card payments?
Send by return, rates for your accommodation for review/consideration.
Regards
Jill Goldsmith

As we do not often receive enquireries from Hong Kong I got interested in finding out about the person and googled the name – then I came across with this excellent page and realised that the request is a scam.
Thanks for this blog.

Today 29 February 2016 I received further request from Jill Goldsmith, because I had answered the first email before I was allerted by this page. The request made me sure, that it was the same scammer as others have been writing about. This was the request I received:

Many thanks for your mail.
We are willing to pay 50% deposit to secure the available accommodations/rooms, balance on arrival.
Furthermore, I have made arrangements with a travel agent who will organize car rental, flight bookings and language translation services for my client under a budget of USD 8,850.00. I have discussed payment with our agent and they do not have credit card facilities to receive payment.
I, request your kind assistance to use your POS terminal for credit cards and process USD 8,850.00 for our agent along with 50% deposit for our accommodation. Immediately your bank confirms the transaction, I will send by email bank account information for bank transfer payment to our agent.
Kindly note that ” NO BOOKING HAS BEEN MADE YET REGARDING FLIGHT ,TRANSPORTATION BOOKINGS ETC “. Our agent will make all arrangements after they receive payment from you as i explained above then we will contact you again with guest arrival details.
We are willing to pay Taxes, credit card processing fee and any other charges for this transaction.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Your name:
-Telephone/Mobile number.
Thank you in advance.
Jill

My reply to Jill Goldsmith was simply: “Sorry, no rooms available” !

Be careful out there folks, it’s a dangerous world. In Great Kruger Park, Southafrica, where our lodge is, we know how to keep safe from the lions. On the internet however, lions are not always that easy to spot.

Yes it looks like the Jill Goldsmith scam is now targeting Australian businesses (2016), in this case a small tour business.
Note the broken English/bad grammar, request for credit card payment, lack of any business/company name and suspect email address:

Jill Goldsmith wrote:
Hello,
We are interested in booking tours for 8 guests (4 couples) from HongKong visiting for tour experience.
BTW. these dates 15 – 22 July 2016.
Kindly let us know tour styles/Types you have available.
Do you accept creditcard payments?
Please advise quotes/Prices.
Best Regards
Jill
– Upon replying to gain more information, this was also sent:
Hello,
Thanks for your swift response.
We are glad to accept any tour option you offer us for the available dates and willing to make 50% deposit payment by creditcard to secure the booking, Then on arrival we will pay balance payment for all service rendered to us.
Furthermore, I have made arrangements with a travel agent who will organize flight bookings and language translation services for my client under a budget of EUR 8,850.00. I have discussed payment with our agent and they do not have credit card facilities to receive payment.
I, request your kind assistance to use your credit card facilities and process EUR 8,850.00 for our agent along with 50% deposit for your services. Immediately your bank confirms the transaction, I will send by email bank account information for bank transfer payment to our agent.
Kindly note that ” NO BOOKING HAS BEEN MADE YET REGARDING FLIGHT BOOKINGS ETC “. Our agent will make all arrangements after they receive payment from you as i explained above. All details including hotel and flight details will be emailed to you after booking is completed.
We are willing to pay VAT %, credit card processing fee and any other charges for this transaction.
Please provide your contact details:
-Your Company full name/address
– Contact person
-Telephone/Mobile number.
I look forward to your response.
Regards
Jill

– So basically you are washing money for them, then footing the bill due to their stolen credit card number. Note the same amount as other posts in this thread (EUR8,850.00), lack of any specific further info regarding their clients or agent, and lack of other bookings to trace them. Glad that I was suspicious of these emails and dug a little deeper, and grateful for this blog for assisting, but a shame that they are wasting everyone’s time and effort and possibly worse. It is hard not to take it personally when they could potentially do so much damage, but I guess this is how they operate.
Please be careful and hopefully this helps others from being stung.

This mail is to make inquiry for the price quotations of dinner reservations in your restaurant for our group of 8 adult persons during the period that we will be staying in your location; 26th September 2016 to 2nd October 2016.

The reservation can be made on any main 3 course menu or a la carte menu within the budget of €30 per person per meal (no special dietary, non-smokers, no beverages, no beer and no wine) and dinner time of 8:45 pm everyday. Wines or drinks of any type will be paid directly on request by the guests. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 8 adult persons for the 7 nights.

NOTE: This is our first dinner in your restaurant, so we are open to your menu suggestions and you can schedule a reservation within your available time and dates of service, supposing our proposed dates and time are not suitable.

Hello,
I am Mr. Georgie Gillard. After a research, your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for a private group of delegates visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from August 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, 2016, time: 7:00 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 40 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for by the guests immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide me with the total cost of the dinner for the 10 delegates for the 8 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant. Your swift response will be highly appreciated.

Thank you for your swift reply. I gladly write to inform you that after the delegates deliberations in our meeting concerning our travel arrangements, we have accepted your price offer and agreed to have our meals in your restaurant. our sponsor wants to proceed immediately with the payment for the booking with a certified Euro-check only and an additional money will be added on the check to cover for other logistic services(car rentals, hotel booking, flight tickets and vacation tours) needed by the delegates throughout the period of our vacation stay.

However, I know that you don’t provide these logistics services, therefore I will inform you what to do with the additional money once your account is credited. Kindly note that all the bank charges will be deducted from the check, so kindly provide your details for the check to be issued to you;

(1). The name to be written on the check-:
(2). The address for the check delivery-:
(3). Your valid office OR Mobile telephone-:
(4). Office fax number-:

I expect to hear from you as soon as possible, to enable the sponsor issue out the check and dispatch it through a courier service to your preferred destination immediately. High regards in anticipation of your favourable consideration.

This mail is to make inquiry for the price quotations of dinner reservations in your restaurant for our group of 8 adult persons during the period that we will be staying in your location; 26th September 2016 to 2nd October 2016.

The reservation can be made on any main 3 course menu or a la carte menu within the budget of €30 per person per meal (no special dietary, non-smokers, no beverages, no beer and no wine) and dinner time of 8:45 pm everyday. Wines or drinks of any type will be paid directly on request by the guests. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 8 adult persons for the 7 nights.

NOTE: This is our first dinner in your restaurant, so we are open to your menu suggestions and you can schedule a reservation within your available time and dates of service, supposing our proposed dates and time are not suitable.

I’m a German practitioner in alternative medicine and received this today:

Dear Manager/Director,

I would like to book therapy sessions appointments for 4-clients arriving
from the Northern-Ireland on vacation. They will arrive in your area on the
24th October 2016 and depart on the 25th November, 2016.

Can you schedule each person for appointments once a week for 4-weeks, in
between the period of their stay?

Your advice on price and availability will be highly regarded.

NOTE: We are open to your professional advice and you can schedule the
sessions within your available time and dates of service, supposing our
proposed dates and time are not suitable.

Kindly send the total cost for the entire appointments in your reply mail
and thanks in anticipation.

I am Dr.James.Cool. After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from October 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th 8th 2016, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

Just got this today- Does anyone know of a way to report the email? If they are using to scam, there must be standards in place for this?

Hello ,

I am Dr. George Bolton , from Manchester Drive Forest Garden, UK . I
want to book Lunch for 24 guests from my Department arriving from UK
to your country. Our 24 guests will all come for Lunch everyday .
Start from 24th October,2016 ,
End on 31st October,2016 (8days).
Time 1.30pm each day.
Get back to me with your Menu if there is availability.
I hope you do have a Credit Card machine for Credit Card charges as
regards payment. I also want to know the type of Credit Cards you
accept for payment.
I await your urgent response.

Hello,
I am Mr. Duncan Richard. After a research, your restaurant has been selected for dinner reservations for our private group of 15 delegates visiting your area on a holiday vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers. They will all come for dinner in your place as from September 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, 2016, time: 7:00 p.m. each day. They are ten (15) in number.

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 40 euros per person per meal though the budget is flexible (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for by the guests immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide me with the total cost of the dinner for the 15 delegates for the 8 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant. Your swift response will be highly appreciated.

I work closely with the manager of the restaurant I work in Sweden, she recieved an email from a Mr. Matthew Wingate
She’s asked me to review the email and after taking the telephone number from the email and searching the internet with that telephone number, I came across this website, which pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

I’ve pasted the email here (note that his excuse for not being able to transfer money is that he is abroad and he is “on the high sea work now” basically meaning he’s in another country where he can’t carry on with his transaction to the “translator” because they don’t have a debit/credit card charging machine, after challenging him about this, he stuck to his little story):

Dear restaurant manager, (NOTE: no formal greeting such as Mr./Mrs./Miss etc.)
This mail is to make inquiry (NOTE: poor English for someone who is from Northern Ireland) for the price quotations of dinner reservations in your restaurant for our group of 10 adult persons during the period that we will be staying in your location; 24th October 2016 to 4th November 2016.
The reservation can be made on any main 3 course menu or a la carte menu within the budget of €55 (NOTE: Googled the currency that NI use and it’s GBP) per person per meal (no special dietary, non-smokers, no beverages, no beer and no wine) and dinner time of 8:45 pm everyday. Wines or drinks of any type will be paid directly on request by the guests. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 adult persons for the 12 nights.
NOTE: This is our first dinner in your restaurant, so we are open to your menu suggestions and you can schedule a reservation within your available time and dates of service, supposing our proposed dates and time are not suitable.
Once you confirm the availability and total cost, I will forward my credit card details for you to charge and confirm our table reservation. I hope that you accept credit card payment?. I expect your swift reply.
Warmest regards,
Mr. Matthew Wingate.
Donovan Fold,
Donovan Parade,
Belfast,
BT6 9GR,
Nothern Ireland.
E-mail: admn.mattwin@gmail.com
Contact Phone-no: +44(0)7341544973 (NOTE: No response at all when called)

This email seems to follow the general rule of this scam: no formal greeting, just “restaurant manager” etc.; leaves credit card details, although you should NEVER trust someone with your personal bank details

We run a restaurant in South Sweden and we have received this too. Happy to have found this blog. These guys / women have been going since 2009 or even before that so I suspect this operation is still profitable for them.

I am John Mark . After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers . They will all come for dinner in your place as from November 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th 2016, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number .

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant .

Your swift response will be appreciated.

Regards

—
Prof. John Mark
ADDRESS : 1 CHESTNUT CLOSE CATFORD A
SE63NS LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM.

Hello!
The scam has arrived to Estonia as well, we are a little restaurant and received a similar e-mail:

Hello,

Thank you for your swift response, we would be delighted for the group to dine in your restaurant. But firstly, we would also appreciate if you prepare a 3 course menu for our group dinner. No special dietary. We have a budget for €126,00 PER PERSON each night.

We welcome any suggestion you may give. We will be happy for any suggestions you may render since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Once you have put together the 3 course menu, kindly provide me also the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 3 night dinner, Arrival 6:30 / 7:00pm each day, Same guest each day. I believe these prices should not include any alcoholic beverages.

Payment would be made with a credit card ,Moreover do you have a major card you accept? Get back to us so we may proceed in securing our bookings via credit card before the date of our arrival.

Hello
We have restaurant in Slovakia and I recieved similar mail.
I could not decided whether its true or not so I started to search on internet
Seems that the name is new. Now Mr. Mark Livingstone (no result on Google). It was suspicious that they mentioned “your restaurant” and “will be staying in your area”….no exact names and places. Also you can see that recipion list is “undisclosed-recipients” so probably it was sent to houndreds of people.
Finally I found this blog and I see that they are scammers
Thank you guys, that’s their newest story:

Dear,

Compliments of the season. I hope this mail finds you well. I write to inquire whether our group of 15 adult persons can have Dinner in your restaurant for the period we will be staying in your area; Your restaurant was recommended to us .

The reservation can be made on any main 3 course menu or a la carte menu within the budget of 50€ per person per meal (no special dietary, non-smokers, no beverages, no beer and no wine), Wine or drinks of any type will be paid on spot directly on request by the guests and any of your proposal will be acknowledged, since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the overall cost plus tourist tax(if any) of the dinner for the 15 adult persons for the 7 Evenings, I expect your swift reply.

NOTE-: you can reschedule a reservation within your available time and dates of service, if the proposed dates and time are not suitable.

I will give you my credit card information to charge all money in advance.

Hi all,
With thanks to this page I was saved from a scam. I received an email from a Mr. Robert Lasky. We often get email bookings but found this very odd.
I found his address a bit odd and noticed it was a rehab center for ladies only.
Robert Lasky
Greetings,

I am Robert Lasky I work with the ​Weatherford Intl Oil Services, my agent in the UK and Boris Lauser in Germany recommended your restaurant to me and I will like to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from London UK.
They will all come for dinner in your place from the 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th of November by 6:30 / 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number.
Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
I await your swift response.

same thing here happen to me but when I asked to send the booking advance by western union ,the guy stopped to reply

Greetings,

I am Robert Lasky I work with the ​Weatherford Intl Oil Services, my agent in the UK and Boris Lauser in Germany recommended your restaurant to me and I will like to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from London UK.

They will all come for dinner in your place from the 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th of November by 6:30 / 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number.

Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.

Greetings,
Please kindly confirm your availability to host a group of 8 adults scheduled to have Lunch and Dinner at your restaurant for 15 days. The dates are from 8th December – 22nd December, 2016, time 19:00 (7:00 pm) daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. Combination of meat and fish menu would be fine if you can host us. Please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 8 persons throughout the 15 days without drinks or beverages of any type.

This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks or beverages which will be paid for at your place by us. In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 15 day period in January 2017.
Thanks in anticipation.
Warmest regards,
Neville Hudson

Greetings,
Please kindly confirm your availability to host a group of 8 adults scheduled to have Lunch and Dinner at your restaurant for 15 days. The dates are from 8th December – 22nd December, 2016, time 19:00 (7:00 pm) daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. Combination of meat and fish menu would be fine if you can host us. Please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 8 persons throughout the 15 days without drinks or beverages of any type.

This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks or beverages which will be paid for at your place by us. In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 15 day period in January 2017.
Thanks in anticipation.
Warmest regards,
Neville Hudson
E-mail: nevhudson@zoho.com
Tel: +44 74 5208 9268 (Mon – Fri)

Greetings,
Please kindly confirm your availability to host a group of 8 adults scheduled to have Lunch and Dinner at your restaurant for 15 days. The dates are from 8th December – 22nd December, 2016, time 19:00 (7:00 pm) daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). The group does not have any special request, allergies nor vegetarian. Combination of meat and fish menu would be fine if you can host us. Please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 8 persons throughout the 15 days without drinks or beverages of any type.

This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks or beverages which will be paid for at your place by us. In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 15 days period in January 2017.
Thanks in anticipation.
Warmest regards,

paulmartins722@yahoo.com. I’ll just leave it here in case someone runs a search on this address online. Got a letter too and the answer to my consent felt really off. I went on to investigate the matter and this is the first source that confirms my doubts. Thank you for posting this!

I am Robert Lasky I work with the ​Weatherford Intl Oil Services, my agent in the UK and Boris Lauser in Germany recommended your restaurant to me and I will like to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from London UK.
They will all come for dinner in your place from the 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th of November by 6:30 / 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number.
Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
I await your swift response.

The name on the email was stella and the email was paulmartins722@yahoo.com
We rent our house in the summer and we don’t own a restaurant.
We received the following email which is a hoax – phishing scam.

Hello,
I am Mr Mike, i want to make a hotel reservation for my guest.
Checking in Date: 10th of APR 2017.
check out Date: 21st of APR 2017.
Period: 10 Nights.
Guests: 5 Adults Coming for golf training.
Rooms: Either 5 single or 3 double rooms.
Mode of payment: CERTFIED CHEQUE in advance to secure the booking
before arriving.
.
checking in date: 10th of APR 2017 and check out 21st of APR 2017.
Get back with the Total cost of the Booking for 10 days.
Example:
5 single Rooms X 10 days =
3 ddouble X 10 days =
So that we can be able to effect the payment via our sponsor as soon
as possible
Regards,
Paul Cole
1608 Clyde Dr Naperville IL 60565 US
Mike

Wrong number of nights, different names on the email, sponsor?, and the rest of the comments on this post.

I am Dr. Wilson Smith After a research your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner reservations for our workers visiting your area for a vacation, so I therefore have been appointed to book dinner for this group of workers . They will all come for dinner in your place as from March 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th 18th 2017, time: 7:30 p.m. each day. They are ten (10) in number .

The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 30-75 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the dinner for the 10 persons for the 5 nights dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant .

Your swift response will be appreciated.

Regards

An after answering this one:

Hello,

Thanks for your kind response, we accept your offer and have decided to complete the reservation, our sponsor will make an arrangement for a cheque payment as we want to conclude everything before our arrival and additional money will be added on the cheque for our logistic needs and i will inform you what to do with the additional money.

A Certified covered bank cheque will be issued to you and our sponsor will send you the cheque, so when you receive it you will cash it and complete the reservation. So, confirm this and provide me with this information.

Full Name (that will be on the Cheque):
Your full mailing address where the courier will send the check:
Direct telephone/Fax numbers:
Email:
Total cost:

I also hope that our stay will be made comfortable.

Best Regards,

i was not 100% sure at first but after this I knew..and found you to confirm it . Thakn you!

Hello,
I am Mr. Jeffery Holsgrove of MEC Electrical and Installation Contractors. Your restaurant has been approved by my company for dinner reservations for my co-workers visiting your area in Sweden for a Holidays, so i therefore want to book dinner for the group of workers.

Details:

Arrival: 23rd – 26th May, 2017

Number: 15 Guest

Time: 7:00pm each day

Meal: A 3 course menu(No special dietary)

NOTE: IT WILL BE THE SAME 15 GUESTS EACH NIGHT.

Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. We would like to have a plan menu for the group

Kindly provide me with the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 4 evening dinner so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

warning
I have a restaurant in Sweden, this is our second mail from Jeffery Holsgrove MEC Electrical and Installation Contractors

“Thanks for your reply and assistance so far.We are okay with your charge rate, we wish to make advance payment to confirm the booking and to make sure that everything is arranged before our arrival.

However, a Certified European Bank Cheque has been issued by our sponsors to cover all our traveling expenses which includes; Food, flights, accommodation, car rental and other logistics. I am sure you do not provide such services, so we engaged the services of a logistics agency.

Since you are the first booking we have confirmed, I have now been instructed to send you the cheque. So that when you receive it, you will cash it and deduct the cost of your services. Then the remaining money will be for the logistic agency (The detail will be provided to you).

So provide me with the following information for the cheque payment to be delivered to you:

(1) FULL NAME (As it will appear on the cheque):
(2) FULL POSTAL ADDRESS (For cheque delivery):
(3) CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
(4) TOTAL COST:

Note: All tax and cost for cashing the cheque will also be deducted from our money.

I hope that our stay will be made comfortable and have a wonderful day

Hi from Sweden!
We recieved this email last week.
Leaving Contact information here if someone googleling his name/ addres.

It’s a scam and he’ve been booking several restaurants in Sweden during this date..

Hello,
I am Mr. Jeffery Holsgrove of MEC Electrical and Installation Contractors. Your restaurant has been approved by my company for Lunch for my co-workers visiting your area in Sweden for a Holidays, so i therefore want to book Lunch for the group of workers.

Details:

Arrival: 23rd – 26th May, 2017

Number: 15 Guest

Time: 13:00pm each day

Meal: A 3 course menu(No special dietary)

NOTE: IT WILL BE THE SAME 15 GUESTS EACH DAY.

Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first Lunch in your restaurant. We would like to have a plan menu for the group

Kindly provide me with the total cost of the lunch for the 15 persons for the 4 afternoon lunch so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant.

Hello!. In Spain we have received the following email with the same address. We have not answered it. Post.jonabsand@gmail.com

Dear Rental Manager,

I write to confirm the availability and the price quotations for hiring your boat for 6-adult persons, starting at the rental station and back same day at the rental station;

Sailing starting-date: 05 June 2017
Sailing closing-date: 26 June 2017
Period of sailing: 21-days(3-weeks)
Sailing days: Monday to Friday each of the weeks
Sailing time: 10am to 3pm each day
Total number of passengers: 6-adult persons
Total number of hours per week: 25 hours per week

The passengers will like to rent the boat with a skipper but if you don’t provide the services of a skipper, we will hire the boat without a skipper. Once we receive the total cost, we will make an advance payment to secure your booking immediately.

The restaurant booking email has just resurfaced in southern France, a restaurateur we know received it a few weeks ago. It came from Brian Harris who claimed to be a Brit working offshore somewhere. This is the paragraph that led me to your blog, thank you for publishing the email when you did.

‘The reservation can be made on a la carte or any main course menu only within the budget of 28€ per person per meal (i.e. 56€ per person per day, no special dietary, non-smokers, no rooms/accommodation, no beverages, no beer and no wine) though we are flexible with the budget. Wine or drinks of any type will be paid immediately on request by the guests. A calculated price of our Dinner/Lunch for the fourteen (14) delegates and an estimated cost for the group based on our budget will be highly appreciated. Also, if you offer only Dinner or Lunch at your restaurant, please give us a breakdown of the total cost respectively.’

Your restaurant has been selected by our sponsor for dinner or lunch reservations for a group visiting your area for a vacation, I want to book a reservations for the group . They will all come for dinner or lunch in your place from June 26TH, 27th, 28th, 29th 30th 2017. The reservation can be made on any three course menu or a la carte within the budget of 40-90 euros per person per meal (no special dietary dinner, non-smokers and no wine). Wine will be paid for immediately on request. Also your suggestion will be appreciated since this is our first outing in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost of the reservations for 10 persons for the period 5 days so as to provide full payment confirmation if there is availability in your restaurant . Your swift response will be appreciated.

That’s what we’ve got in our school (English courses!) in Moscow:
First email
Dear School Director,
I write to make inquiry whether there are spaces for language course private lessons in your school, for our group 6-adult new beginners.
The lessons will start on the; Monday 17th July 2017 and close on the; Monday, 21st August 2017, for the period of 5-weeks, from Monday to Friday each of the weeks.
The students will require 20 hours per week for the lectures, and please note that we are all new beginners and the reason for the course study is for basic communication knowledge. I expect your swift reply with the overall cost of the course programme.
Warmest regards,
Mr. Mark Livingstone
Finsbury House, 23 Finsbury Circus,
London EC2M 7UH
UK
Phone: +447405862186
Fax no: +447405862186
Email : mark.livingstone@yandex.com
Second email
Dear Manager/Director,

Thank you for your swift reply. This mail is to inform you that after our meeting today, we have accepted your price quotation offer and agreed to have the language course training in your school.

Kindly note that we are getting an abroad sponsorship and our sponsor wants to proceed immediately with the payment for the enrollment booking with a certified euro check only and an additional money will be added on the check for other travel logistic arrangements(flight, hotel, restaurant, car rentals) needed by the group throughout the period of our stay.

However, I know that you don’t provide these logistics services, therefore I will inform you what to do with the additional money once your account is credited. Note that all the bank charges for this transaction should be deducted from the money received, so kindly provide your details for the check to be issued to you;

(1). Your name to be written on the check-:
(2). Your address for the delivery of the check-:
(3). Your valid office OR Mobile telephone-:
(4). Total cost of our course
(5). Alternative e-mail(optional)-:

Here is the details of the students for the registration process, the students are all British nationals;
1). Mr. Zhang Wei Ying ; Date of Birth: 09/12/1968
Passport number: 544046991
Address: Llandaff Rd,
Cardiff, CF11 9PW,
South Glamorgan, Wales, UK.

NOTE: The reason for including the additional money meant for other logistics arrangements is that the tour agencies that we have contacted to provide the logistics services needed by the delegates have requested for their funds via credit card/wire transfer while the sponsor has approved a certified Euro-check payment as the the only means of payment for our entire trip. However, I will inform you what to do with the additional money once your account is credited. And the tour agency will issue an invoice to you before you transfer their money to them, so there should be no tax implication from your side.

I expect to hear from you shortly, to enable the sponsor issue out and dispatch the check through a courier service to your destination immediately. High regards in anticipation of your favourable consideration.

Just recieved the same mail today in Madrid.
Seems that theses guys are still on!
Regarts from Madrid

Foward mail:
Please kindly confirm your availability to host a family of 6 adults scheduled to have lunch and dinner at your restaurant for 16 days. The dates are from 29th July – 14th August, 2017, time 13:00 (1:00 pm for lunch) and 19:00 (7:00 pm for dinner) daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). My family does not have any person with a special request or allergies, no accommodation or room booking required. Combination of meat and fish menu will be fine if you can host us.

Please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 6 persons throughout the 16 days excluding drinks so that I can forward your quota to our financial department in charge of the trip for approval. This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks which will be paid for at your place by us. In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 16-day period in August/September, 2017 on the same dates to host us in your restaurant as we are flexible with our dates.
Thanks in anticipation.
Warmest regards,

Hotelmanager from Austria here, we receive those kind of email on a daily base…

(copy and paste from the latest one)

Hello,
Please kindly confirm your availability to host a family of 6 adults scheduled to have lunch and dinner at your restaurant for 16 days. The dates are from 29th July – 14th August, 2017, time 13:00 (1:00 pm for lunch) and 19:00 (7:00 pm for dinner) daily for a 3 course meal (entree/starter, main course and dessert). My family does not have any person with a special request or allergies, no accommodation or room booking required. Combination of meat and fish menu will be fine if you can host us.

Please provide the total cost of your 3 course menu for 6 persons throughout the 16 days excluding drinks so that I can forward your quota to our financial department in charge of the trip for approval. This cost should include all taxes and service charge if applicable except drinks which will be paid for at your place by us. In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 16-day period in August/September, 2017 on the same dates to host us in your restaurant as we are flexible with our dates.
Thanks in anticipation.
Warmest regards,

Our person, James, pretends to have a sponsor who is ready to pay 11,800 £ for all the expenses connected to the trip of James and his family members…

* * *
Hello,
Thanks for your timely reply. I got your mail and after a proper evaluation with our trip sponsor, I have decided to make use of your offer for me and my family’s vacation. You are required to provide me with the below details to effect payment as soon as possible.

(1) Your full name (to be written on the cheque):
(2) Valid address (for delivery of the cheque):
(3) Office or Mobile telephone number (for easy communication):
(4) Estimated total cost (including VAT/Tax charges):

However, a certified bank cheque of £11,800 from our sponsor will be sent to you to cover the cost of your services including city and bank tax. Also a pre-arrangement has been made with a logistics/travel agent who will take care of our flight tickets, accommodation, transportation, sight seeing and other logistics services which I believe is not your responsibility, so we have engaged the services of a logistics/travel company who will do that for us.

Please remember that this booking requires prompt response. I also hope that our vacation will be made comfortable in your place and if there are more things to enjoy in your place, do kindly let me know.

I am Jason Dobbin, I work with the Weatherford Int Oil Services, my agent in the UK and Berti Vogts in Germany recommended your restaurant to me and I will like to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from London UK.
We’ll all come for dinner in your place from the 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th of August 2017 by 7:00 / 7:30pm each day. We’re all 15 in numbers.
Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
I await your swift response.

Thank you for your swift response, we would be delighted for the group to dine in your restaurant. But firstly, we would also appreciate if you prepare a 5-course menu for our group dinner. No special dietary. We have a budget for €126,00 PER PERSON each night.

We welcome any suggestion you may give. We will be happy for any suggestions you may render since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Once you have put together the 5-course menu, kindly provide me also the total cost of the dinner for the 15 persons for the 5-night dinner, Arrival 7:00 / 7:30 pm each day, Same guest each day. I believe these prices should not include any alcoholic beverages.

Prepayment would be made with a credit card, Moreover, do you have a major card you accept? Get back to me so we may proceed in securing our bookings via credit card before the date of our arrival.

I desire that this e-mail finds you well. I write to make inquiry whether our group of 9-adult persons can have dinner in your restaurant for the period we will be staying in your area, dinner start date: 24th October 2017, and dinner closing Date: 30th of October 2017 (7-nights), time: 8:30PM everyday.

The dinner reservation can be made on any 3-course menu or a La carte menu within the budget of €60.00 per person per meal (No special dietary) and any wines or drinks of any type will be paid immediately on request by the group.

You are free to make suggestions regarding our menus and dinner dates and time, since this is our first dinner in your restaurant. Kindly provide the total cost plus tourist tax of our dinner reservation for our group of 9-adult persons for the 7-nights.

I will appreciate your prompt reply.

Note-: You can schedule a dinner reservation within your convenient dates(7-nights) and time, supposing our proposed dates are not available.

Our reservation is for 2 couples from China, I have contacted a chinese/english guide to accompany them during their tours. The guide will book hotel rooms, flight, transportation and translation service for the guests during their vacation stay, Total number of guests will be 5 persons.

Regarding payment, in order to fully secure the arrangement, we will make a deposit to hold the dates. Our chinese/guide does not have any means to take payment by creditcard therefore i will make all payments through you.

I will provide my credit card details, You will process 50% of total cost for our charters and deduct additional US$4,850.00 for our travel logistics and assist us with paying the balance by bank transfer to Our chinese/guide to enable her settle our travel expenses.

Kindly fill-in deposit amount for this reservation as listed below and also calculate credit card fee for the transactions including (US$4,850.00) for our travel expenses.

1. 50% Deposit for reservation…………………USD$
2. Translater/Travel fee……………….US$4,850.00 (This amount will cover our flight bookings, insurance and includes payment to our interpreter for services).
3. Creditcard fee (usually 3% – 4%)…………USD$
TOTAL…………USD$ (kindly let us know total sum of the charges inclusive of the travel fee, Then I can contact you for payment).

Your assistance is required to help our agent in dealing with other payments for the services.

Meta

I just received the following e-mail which is clearly a scam. In the e-mail a purported company wants to make reservations at "your" restaurant. They ask for a set menu and offer to provide their credit card details for full payment.
Now, I'm not sure *how* this scam works exactly* - but I know it's a scam because of seve